Prolonging Life Essay
The question on whether we should delay death with the use of drugs, even though the same would decrease the value of life would lead us to answering other questions. First, we must ask whether the act of prolonging the life of a person is tantamount to delaying his death. Second, we must also ask whether taking drugs in order to prolong the life of a sick person is contrary to the laws of nature. And finally, we must ask whether the act of prolonging the life or delaying the death decreases the value of life. Answering these questions is necessary in order to make an account on whether it is right to use drugs as cure for what seems to be an incurable disease.Prolonging Life Essay Example
The first question requires us to define death and life. When speaking of using drugs to prolong the life or to delay the death, we are usually referring to the biological life and biological death of a human being. However, if our aim is to relate the issue of quality of life with the discussion of life and death, reducing the terms “life” and “death” to mere biological life and death of a person would be too limiting. Life and death, therefore, should not be reduced to mere existence of the person, but rather be related to his essence. When a person takes drugs because he has dementia or is otherwise suffering from other diseases, it is better for us to think that the person’s aim is not to delay the death but to prolong his life. Though they may refer to the same thing, i.e. the physical death will soon come; there is a difference with focusing on one than on the other. If the focus is on prolonging the life, the person is giving importance to the things that he could do while still alive, including the authentication of his essence as a person. Focusing on life implies the acceptance of the idea that life is worth living; that life is good if we desire so, even though we may physically die soon.